Mea culpa…

I was late this year. But this one followed me home, so I guess I’ll keep it…

It’s a 4″ Trooper MKIII, 1976 version. It hasn’t been shot a lot, and the standard check on it looks good.

For those that may not remember, or don’t check a used gun, this is how I do it. YMMV, etc…

The first thing I look at AFTER I make sure the revolver is unloaded, is the overall condition of the blueing, any pitting on the exterior, and whether or not the grips are original. You’re going to be manipulating the pistol in ways you don’t normally do, so MAKE SURE YOU KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION!

Next, I take a light (you always carry one, don’t you?), open the cylinder, see that it spins freely, and check for a bulged barrel, both internally and externally. Next is the bore. I look for rust, pitting, odd wear patterns in rifling, and excessive leading (meaning it’s been shot a LOT and not cleaned regularly). Then I use the light to check the chambers, again rust, pitting, gouges, crud, and any bulging.

Then I check the ejector rod: Look for smooth operation with no binding. Turning cylinder between thumb and forefinger may reveal a visible wobble at tip of ejector rod. Another thing to check is the knurling on the tip for any tool marks from pliers. Then I check ratchet and the extractor for wear/chips.

Next I close the cylinder and check for a sprung or bent crane, a gap between yoke and frame when cylinder is closed is bad. The cylinder should NOT be hard to close. Look for obvious visible cylinder misalignment. Next check for endshake (cylinder movement forward to rear), there is almost always going to be a little play. If there is too big a gap, or no gap, that’s a problem.

Look at the cylinder stop notches for deformation of the cylinder stop from hitting the off side of the notch due to heavy use in fast double action shooting (or excessive snapping in double action dry-firing) and general wear. Worn notches may not allow the cylinder stop to catch. Next, check the cylinder bolt for chips and rounded edges denoting wear. NOTE: An extremely worn cylinder stop may not catch or hold a cylinder.

Now we get to the important parts-

This is how “I’ check action/timing: Again make SURE the gun is unloaded!

I  pull the trigger very slowly in the double-action mode. I want to see the cylinder stop fully engage the cylinder stop notches before the hammer falls. I do this six times (it must engage on each of the chambers). If the hammer falls before the cylinder stop engages a notch then the revolver’s timing is off.

For single action slowly cock the hammer while observing the cylinder as it turns. The cylinder stop should fully engage the cylinder stop notches before the hammer reaches full cock. Again, do this six times (the cylinder stop should engage properly on each chamber). If, after the hammer is holding at full cock, the cylinder can be rotated by hand into position so the cylinder stop can engage the notch then the revolver’s timing is off.

Next, I drop the hammer and hold the trigger back. I check for side play on the cylinder. Colts are designed with a hand system that locks the cylinder tight when the revolver is fired. If the cylinder can be moved sideways at all or incrementally rotated with the hammer down and the trigger held back then the revolver has timing issues.

A timing issue is evident if the cylinder fails to advance enough to lock up, whether this occurs on all chambers or only a few. And, depending on the gun, that may be the deal breaker, as they are not cheap to get repaired…

And a couple of last items…

The trigger should return forward smartly when you release it. If it doesn’t either the gun is very dirty (see above), or somebody has monkeyed with the springs.

Check the trigger pull in double action and cock it for single action. If the revolver seems to have a very light double action trigger pull or cocks very easily, then the main spring could have been altered or the main spring strain screw could have been shortened in an effort to give a lighter trigger feel.

Note: This could cause primer light strikes if the work was done wrong!

Then check the hammer by pushing forward on the cocked hammer. If pushing on the hammer, even fairly vigorously, causes it to fall then the revolver has sear problems.

Note: Guns that have been shot a lot may be worn enough to suffer from this malady.

Lastly, inspect the sights. Are they there (don’t laugh)? Check for damage or modification. Does the front sight appear to be centered right on top of the barrel?  Make certain that the front sight isn’t either built up or filed down. Could indicate a revolver that slipped out of the factory and be shooting way off from point of aim. Also, if the revolver has adjustable sights, check for mechanical adjustment, damage, or modification.

Note: Most fixed sight revolvers shoot close to point of aim at 15 yards with ammunition of “standard” velocity and bullet weight.